I unexpectedly came across this as I was getting ready for uni this morning and had to post it!
It feels like an absolute age has passed since '80's enthused pop nugget 'Everything Is Embarrassing'first appeared on cyberspace over a year ago. Similarly '80's influenced, 'You're Not The One' is far more punchy in comparison to its dolefully chilled predecessor, accented with punchy synths and a brash guitar, with Ferreira's crying vocals stating that her current love interest is, indeed, not the one she needs to be with. Also, Ferreira's vocals are easily the strongest she has displayed on any of her singles yet, and this brilliant pop song bodes well for whatever her forthcoming debut album (finally!) has to offer.
Ohai, remember me? I used to write blog posts on here on da regz. Now it's somewhat less regz, but that's largely down to my feeling uninspired in regards to some of the music I keep coming across.
But come forth Charli XCX - someone who I can generally count on to make me happy again with her glorious dance-pop songs - and it appears she is on top form! After gaining more worldwide press attention thanks to her both writing and featuring on mega-hit of the summer, 'I Love It', by Swedish duo Icona Pop, Charli has (somehow) managed to find time to begin work on her second album whilst touring here, there and everywhere. The first song to be debuted as the follow-up to her first proper album, True Romance, is the delectable 'Superlove'; it is instantly loveable, of similar glittering ilk of 'Take My Hand' but much more accessible and sophisticated - by no means a bad thing! - and will no doubt be played on radio airwaves anytime soon. This is straight up pop at its best - so go get hooked!
I featured 'Tennis Court' by Lorde on the July BUZZ a few days ago. I can't recall how I stumbled across her now, but the first song I heard was this song, 'Royals'.
Surprisingly, yet also unsurprisingly, 'Royals' stormed to the top of the charts in her New Zealand homeland; pretty impressive for a 16 year old, eh? The singer-songwriter - real name Ella Yelich-O'Connor - is fiercely protective of what her label release to the world; as of yet, there are two music videos, one for 'Royals' and one for 'Tennis Court', and a handful of photos from a single promo shoot, live shots compile the rest. It is refreshing to see such self-guard from a teen in a world over-saturated in the over-sharing of her contemporaries and fans alike.
'Royals' itself is very subtle, comprised of clicks, beats and vocal layering to create heavenly harmonies, however, it's all about the lyrics. All of Lorde's songs carry a story, as do the accompanying visuals, and it's really this sort of artist that I get excited about.
Her EP, The Love Club is available from iTunes and is on Spotify. For some reason, 'Royals' doesn't seem to be available in the UK yet, and I'm not sure why, although the version of the EP that I bought from UK iTunes has a different tracklisting to the US one. Which is a lil disappointing, as I'm now waiting for 'Royals' to have a presumably massive release over here. Good things come to those who wait...
You should all know by now that -whilst I love a bit of raucous or textured indie/rock music - I am also very electronically inclined. In fact I'd go to say that I ♥ electro, especially of the layered kind; sometimes minimal electronics just sound... sterile, don't you think?
However, here is a band that is most definitely not sterile. Welcome Feathers, a New York based four-piece that specialise in synth pop. Their song- 'Land Of The Innocent' - brings to mind a warmer, more welcoming Ladytron, with singer Anastasia Dimou hearkening to a lost innocence before a pretty dystopian and barren sci-landscape. And that's before the pounding drums kick in.
Drenge are only a very recent acquisition of mine. I'd been aware of the press buzz for a while - along with a few other bands - however, I just hadn't happened across their music.
Until now! This here is there latest song, 'Face Of A Skull', which is set to be included on the band's self-titled debut, and it personifies what the band are about beautifully:-
Loud.
Rowdy.
Scuzzy.
Grungey.
Rawk!
'Face Of A Skull' - whilst still loud - feels marginally more streamlined than their previous songs (hear 'Backwaters'/'Necromance Is Dead'/Bloodsports' on the band's Soundcloud), where the energy of brothers Eoin and Rory Loveless can only be described as unbound and borderline crazed. This is rawk! And talking of 'rawk'(rock), it feels rare that you get a band these days that does it well; so many seem to fall into the - 'meh' - mediocre category, Drenge are primal!
I have now set my efforts into seeing this band live. Drenge are about to take off on an extensive UK tour, mixing in some dates on the festival circuit.
'Face Like A Skull' is out on 26th August.
Drenge's self-titled debut album is out 19th August.
Ladies and gents, what is this? A post? An actual post!?
Alas, I am back from the wilderness, and what better way to get us back on good, loving terms than giving you some of the loverly Swim Deep. The "B-Town" (can we just say 'Birmingham/Brum' yet?) band have unveiled the bonus track from their forthcoming debut album, Where The Heaven Are We. I admit, I find myself asking this question of Swim Deep myself, for that album appears to have been pushed back; I'm sure it was due out in June? Ah well, who cares, when we have a new nugget of noise to whet out appetites.
'Crush' is the sort of Swim Deep affair that made us latch onto them in the first place; this isn't the emotional and atmospheric sister of 'She Changes The Weather', this is the slightly awkward adolescent brother squeezed somewhere in between 'King City' and 'Honey' that is attempting to be sultry and vying to get himself noticed. Austin and Co are on top form here, with the singer stating 'Take my breath and make me crush, talk real slow so I won't rush, take me some place I won't wanna be' over an intensifying, glimmering guitar. If this is the bonus track that they're willing to share now, I'm looking forward to the rest of the album!
The bonus track itself is available when you pre-order on iTunes. Where The Heaven Are We is also available in CD and vinyl direct from the Swim Deep Store.
I've always been a bit intrigued by Caro Emerald since I first came across her music via some TV advert for her 2010 debut album, Deleted Scenes From The Cutting Room Floor. Her retro jazz appealed to the unpursued penchant for the genre, however I failed to indulge once again.
However, the fact that her second album - The Shocking Miss Emerald - managed to crashland at the top of the UK charts earlier this year did not pass my notice, and after catching her appearance on Jools Holland, I snapped up the chance to review her latest single, 'Liquid Lunch' for Renowned For Sound.
It really is a treat, combining sassy jazz and swing with surprisingly witty lyrics, I was hooked from the get go. Read what else I had to say here :)
Almost a month a go I found a preview of this video and wanted to write a post, but to my utter frustration it was only available in America, grr! Anyway, the fact that you're now reading this means that this is is obviously no longer the case, therefore I present you with 'OMYGOD!' by Kate Nash!
Over the past year, my opinion of Kate Nash has undergone a bit of a renovation, along with her sound. Gone are the days of plinky plonk piano of 'Mouthwash' and in is the gritty sound first displayed in 2012's surprise release of 'Under-Estimate The Girl', however - despite the change in direction - the acerbic wit of 'Foundations' era Nash is most definitely still present. Her current album, Girl Talk, carries a lot of new wave influences and is easily her best effort yet, and 'OMYGOD!' follows suit.
As the second single taken from Girl Talk, 'OMYGOD!' is an accessible radio friendly hit, which is by no means a bad thing. The song appears to discuss missing someone even though the relationship has ended, with the tempo of the song swinging like a pendulum between the plodding verse and energetic chorus. An unfortunate and often aggravating side-effect of the internet press for me is the invasion of privacy of notable relationships of musicians given coverage by the press. One such relationship was that of Nash and The Cribs' Ryan Jarman, and as a result I can't help but read into the lyrics of songs such as this, ultimately presuming that this was written about said ex. Such invasions of privacy are highly frustrating in the listening of subsequent music, though by no means as frustrating as for the people involved. Damn the Internet!
Anyway, if you've yet to hear Nash's new album, give 'OMYGOD!' a listen. I currently can't find a release date for the single, however the album is available in different mediums and downloadable via iTunes, Amazon and GooglePlay.
Nash is touring the UK in the autumn (click here for tickets) , with dates in Norwich, Birmingham, Cardiff, Belfast, Glasgow and Manchester.
Avril Lavigne is probably an artist that you didn't expect to ever see on this blog - indeed, neither did I! My obsession with Avril had waned with childhood and I carried only a passing interest of her through my teens and into my twenties, viewing her as someone who - though definitely physically ageless - seems to be trying too hard to cling to her youth.
Lavigne definitely has a talent for writing/co-writing a catchy pop song, and as the only song I can recall from her fourth album, Goodbye Lullaby, 'What The Hell' certainly continued in this vein. However, I approached 'Here's To Never Growing Up' with a bit of trepidation; it certainly sets its mission statement straight off the mark, but surely there's a time where this type of song gets... old. Lavigne and her original audience are aging out of this pop-rock bracket, however her music is not. The track - co-written by future hubby Chad Kroeger (yes, that Nickelback Chad Kroeger) - is radio friendly fodder, and one that I felt almost brainwashed into liking by the time I finished the review for RenownedForSound.com.
Hailing from Stockport, singer-songwriter Findlay is a fireball of energy. Her most recent track,'Off & On' is an addictive blues infused riot of a song that manages to bear resemblance to something Jack White would write or approve of.
Introduced by a sultry, seductive guitar and stomping beat, the song slowly intensifies, building into a high intensity laserbeam of sound, with Findlay's bark seemingly grabbing the listener unceremoniously by the collar and dragging them viciously through the turmoil of the song which, despite being a mere 2 mins 48, is a snippet of time that you won't forget in a hurry.
In my humble opinion, combining rock and electronic elements in music can be a somewhat difficult feat to pull off. The end result, I feel, ends up either feeling too interspersed and not worth the attempt or too cluttered, with synths and guitars clashing apocalyptically - it's not a pretty sound.
This is however. 'Escape', from New York based band Neonfaith, manages to combine elements of indie and electronica in an intricate and delicate manner. The track is minimalist, yet emotive; the haunting and alluring voice of singer Megan Faye weaves its way through the retro sounding beats, and is the silver thread which binds the song together. The music manages to transition many influences, morphing from laid back guitars to a current of electronic schisms in a heartbeat, but it works, flawlessly, and it is this that makes the band one to watch.
Neonfaith currently only have six songs posted on Soundcloud, three of which are remixes, which is unfortunate as I can't wait to hear more from the band. You can listen to three of their original songs - including 'Escape' - here; the other two, 'Tied Together' and 'Mercury', are similarly intriguing lounge electronica.
So, I appear to have some news for you, folks! Recently, I joined the review team over at Renowned For Sound.com and therefore my writing will be reaching a far wider audience! This will be invaluable work experience for me, and I couldn't be happier about it. There are some other developments and projects under-way that I am also excited about, however I don't want to curse myself by writing about them prior to fruition, so I'm afraid I'll just be teasing y'all for now!
The somewhat mysterious 'B-Town' band Superfood are back with a new demo for their song 'TV', proving the band are not merely a one-hit-wonder of the underground world.
Whilst 'TV' does not capture quite the same charm as the aforementioned song, it is most definitely a grower in the same manner as 'Superfood' previously was, and with Blur-esque guitars and lyrics that practically beg you to sing along, the band are certainly tapping into their own interpretation of the current '90's revival.
Only the second song to ever surface from the band, it will no doubt add momentum to their rippling wave of national recognition following the debut of their first self-titled demo.
The band are currently touring the UK with a mid-tour stop in Amsterdam.
Do you like Superfood? What do you think 'TV'? Do you prefer it to their first song, 'Superfood'?
I must say that seeing this on my Twitter feed today was rather unexpected, but after I saw Marina (of Diamond ilk) post about getting ready to drop a track that she recorded with Charli XCX, I got more than a tad excited; two of may favourite pop artists collaborating!? What on Earth could be better?
The song - 'Just Desserts' - sounds like a perfect blend of the two singers, combining Marina's dark electronic pop with Charli's quirky delivery. Whilst Marina's voice is unique, Charli's contribution manages to compliment it, whilst many other voices wouldn't have been able to pull it off without it sounding more than a bit awkward; however, that said, at times it get a little difficult to differentiate between the two voices.
As for the song itself, it grows with each listen, however it definitely feels as though it is leaning closer to the Marina side of the fence, and 'Just Desserts' would have been perfectly at home slap bang in the middle of Marina's 2012 concept album, Electra Heart. Lyrically, the content is similar - in this instance, an ode to revenge - with Charli declaring in a sickly sweet manner 'Yeah baby, I know that it hurts when you're about to get your just desserts'. For fans of either or both of the singers, the song is definitely an unexpected treat!
It was one of those situations. You know the one, when you initially come across something for the first time, and upon listening/watching/experiencing you are hit by an immediate stab of dislike, irritation or plain old apathy. Well, when I first listened to this song, my initial response was 'meh', however since then it has been absorbed by my subconscious, and has revolved around my brain to the extent that I now actually...
Love. This. Song.
It's one of those songs that - for me anyway - gradually grew addictive, like the sugary contents of E-numbers that you have hidden in your draw (I know you do...). It brings to mind Weezer, quite groovy on the verses, and the rather grungy chorus of 'YOU'RE ALWAYS HUNGRY!' that begs to be sang/shouted/screeched along to at some drunken indie disco or, if you don't get out much, your shower will have to do.
After a mere (!) 8 years between forthcoming album Random Access Memories and its predecessor, Human After All, Daft Punk have been churning up the hype machine in recent weeks, now culminating with the surprise drop of new single, 'Get Lucky'.
After various images and artwork have been floating around cyberspace since the beginning of the year, last week saw the first musical evidence of a Daft Punk comeback with the above song being teased via video trailer at Coachella Festival and during Saturday Night Live ad breaks, and what a great song to begin with! N.E.R.D/Neptunes maestro Pharrell Williams and Chic guitarist Nile Rogers both feature and co-wrote the track with Daft Punk, and it carries a soulful, retro feel, and definitely would not be out of place in the classic disco heyday.
Whilst feeling familiar, it also manages to feel like somewhat of a departure for Daft Punk. It is much less electronic, and Thomas Bangalter stated via Rolling Stone that they 'wanted to do what we used to do with machines and samplers, but with people'[1], and this certainly is apparent. 'Get Lucky' has reminded us of what a well written and slickly composed Daft Punk song can sound like, which is somewhat of a relief, as I found songs from Human After All somewhat repetitive, however this feels like much closer to the realms of brilliance that the duo reached with their second album Discovery, featuring classic songs such as 'One More Time', 'Aerodynamic', 'Digital Love' and 'Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger'. I am getting beyond excited for the rest of the promo campaign in anticipation for when Random Access Memories drops (hopefully) in May!
Random Access Memories is due for release May 17th.
'Get Lucky' is out NOW!
'Alive' is Empire Of The Sun's first offering since their 2008 debut album, Walking On A Dream. Five years is certainly a good while to wait, especially in the fickle music industry which only tends to humour such sabbaticals from established icons or cult artists.
When it comes to Empire Of The Sun, to me at least, they look how they sound - a tad flamboyant, a little bit weird, and with a healthy dose of fun, all of which hold true in regards to 'Alive'. The track seems perfectly poised to be unleashed on a country that is desperately longing for summer (hello, UK fellows, I'm calling out to y'all), and such honey-glazed synthpop practically comes purpose built for the festival circuit and summer parties.
That said, 'Alive' feels like almost common fodder for Empire Of The Sun, and one could have easily mistaken the song as one from their debut album way back when, and not been any the wiser. Currently, it feels as though the band have not progressed from circa-2008, unless we are to be proven wrong when second album Ice On The Dune is released later this year.
Oh yes! - Take a look; it's Charli XCX time again!
The electro-pop starlet is back with the second single from her forthcoming debut album, True Romance (April 16th - not long to wait now, folks!) entitled 'What I Like'. The accompanying video, which was shot of a handheld camera, sees Charli and her friends partying in a hotel, whilst the song, I am glad to report, is in my opinion superior to her previous single, 'You (HA HA HA)', which I found a tad lacklustre lyrically, though I loved the Gold Panda sample.
'What You Like' starts with a building frenzy of dance beats before climaxing and abating into the uber chilled out chorus, with Charli semi-rapping through the verses in her signiature manner about young love and lazy days (spent smoking who-knows-what, if we're judging from this), stating 'You were like the medicine, the medicine, I wanted more'.
Yeah, so do we Charli!
The release date for 'What I Like' is as of yet unconfirmed.
Ripped from the entrails of an Annie Mac show, 'Imagine It Was Us' - a newly emerged track by soulful UK singer Jessie Ware - is a stomper.
'Imagine It Was Us' is a collaboration with producer Julio Bashmore, with Ware purring 'Are you waiting for something? Tell me, would you wait all night?' over an almost disco sound - an unusual combination perhaps, though it really is catchy. The vocal really recalls Romy Madley Croft from emotional minimalist trio The Xx, whilst the beat feels distinctly retro, a slickly addictive late-'80's/early-'90's club floor-filler that sounds a good deal more uptempo that what we are accustomed to, regarding Ware's sensual 2012 debut album Devotion. If Ware were to continue in such a direction though her solo work, it would certainly be an interesting deviation in sound. http://jessieware.com/ https://twitter.com/Jessie_Ware http://www.facebook.com/jessiewaremusic https://soundcloud.com/jessieware
It's been all about Peace for me lately, so much so that in my little music bubble, fellow Birmingham band Swim Deep had almost ceased to exist. Never fear, however! The B-Town boys are back with this beauty that goes by the name of 'She Changes The Weather'.
Swim Deep just seem to keep getting better and better; the intro to this song is delicately accompanied by violins before rolling atmospherically into a mid-tempo rush of heat fueled emotion, it is easily the most mature song that the band have produced yet, and makes every song that preceded it feel positively clunky in comparison. The chorus 'She takes my time, and I don't mind, she makes me feel like, like I can see for miles/ She changes the weather in my bones, seems like it's never getting cold' certainly makes singer Austin Williams sound like a man falling hopelessly in love for the first time, and the song manages to feel effortlessly timeless, with the band creating an atmosphere that will no doubt be memory evoking for anyone that becomes attached to it.
